FLINT, MI -- Nearly two years after they were charged with crimes, two key figures in the Flint water crisis are finally about to hear details of the cases against them.

A new schedule of court dates related to Flint water from the Michigan Attorney General's Office shows Darnell Earley, a former emergency manager, and former Department of Public Works Director Howard Croft are on track to appear before Genesee District Court Judge Nathaniel Perry on Oct. 15.

Croft and Earley are the last of 15 current and former city and state employees facing water crisis charges to start their preliminary examinations, the first step in determining whether they will eventually face a jury trial.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach attorneys for Earley, Croft or special prosecutor Todd Flood on Monday, Oct. 8, but the parties had agreed to next week's hearing date after meeting privately with Perry in August.

Unlike others charged with Flint water crimes, Earley, 66, and Croft, 53, were visible, front-line defenders of using the Flint River for drinking water in parts of 2014 and 2015 and they face some of the heaviest potential criminal penalties.

Earley is charged with false pretenses, conspiracy to commit false pretenses, willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office, and Flood has told Perry he will also ask him to add a charge of involuntary manslaughter at the conclusion of the former manager's preliminary exam.

The charges against him allege Earley, an appointee of Gov. Rick Snyder, allowed the Flint water treatment plant to produce water despite knowing that the plant was not ready for use and that he authorized false and misleading public statements that the city water was safe to drink.

Croft has also been notified that Flood plans to ask for an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter against him as well in addition to charges of false pretenses and conspiracy to commit false pretenses.

Appointed to his position by former emergency manager Mike Brown in 2011, Croft's responsibilities in city government included water and sewer systems, parks, and streets until he resigned from his position in November 2015.

In addition to Croft and Earley, only one other case is scheduled for continuation of preliminary hearings in October.

On Oct. 29, four current and former employees from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality are scheduled to return to the courtroom of Judge Jennifer Manley.

Two officials from the state Department of Health and Human Services are set to continue their preliminary exams before Manley on Nov. 20.

Four of the 15 individuals initially charged with Flint water crimes have accepted pleas agreements in their cases, and two more have been bound over for trial in Genesee Circuit Court.